wheat-production
One euro for a loaf may seem fair — but it hides a long, complex chain: fields, transport, energy, milling, and retail.Bread is both a symbol and a mirror of our food system, revealing how little we value the true cost of sustainability. What Does a Loaf Really Cost? Farmers receive only 8–12 cents for …
Every grain of wheat travels a long road before becoming bread or pasta.From farms to silos, mills, and ports, transportation plays a major role in the cereal sector’s carbon footprint.The challenge for the coming decades is to cut emissions not only in fields but across the entire supply chain — and green hydrogen is emerging …
Read more “Hydrogen and Wheat Logistics: Decarbonizing the Supply Chain”
Across Europe, solar panels are rising among wheat fields.The race for renewable energy has sparked a key question: can food and energy production share the same land, or are they destined to compete? The Land Dilemma Arable land is limited — and shrinking.In Italy, only 7% of land is suitable for cultivation, while urbanization and …
Read more “Agri-Photovoltaics and Cereal Farming: Coexistence or Competition for Land?”
Soil is alive.A single teaspoon of fertile soil can host over a billion microorganisms — bacteria, fungi, and archaea that drive decomposition, nutrient cycling, and nitrogen fixation.This invisible ecosystem, the soil microbiome, is now at the heart of sustainable agriculture.For wheat farmers, understanding and managing this “underground life” is as crucial as choosing the right …
Read more “Biofertilizers and the Soil Microbiome: The New Frontier of Fertility”
Observing a wheat field from space is no longer science fiction.In recent years, satellites have transformed how farmers and policymakers track cereal systems.Thanks to the EU’s Copernicus program, it is now possible to measure crop health, water use, potential yields, and even greenhouse gas emissions from wheat fields in real time. Copernicus: Watching Every Field …
Read more “Satellite Data and Cereal Farming: Monitoring Sustainability from Space”
For more than ten thousand years, wheat has walked alongside humankind.It was the foundation of the first civilizations, fueled empires and wars, and still provides about 20% of global calories.But the challenge of the coming decades is not just to produce more wheat — it is to grow it better on a planet facing climate …
Read more “The Future of Wheat: Scenarios Between Sustainability and Technology”
Wheat is much more than a crop — it is a symbol of stability.For thousands of years, it has accompanied humanity as a sign of nourishment, peace, and prosperity.Yet behind its apparent abundance lies a deeper challenge: producing wheat does not automatically mean feeding everyone. Food security depends not only on how much wheat is …
Read more “Wheat and Food Security: Between Availability and Access”
Behind every wheat spike lies a web of hands, knowledge, and choices — and increasingly, those hands are female.From the sowing field to the research lab, and from small farms to cooperative boards, women are reshaping the face of the wheat sector: not only as producers, but as innovators and guardians of sustainability. An Invisible …
Read more “Women and Wheat: The Female Role in Cereal Supply Chains”
Eating bread, pasta, or biscuits is an everyday act. Yet behind every grain of wheat lies a long chain of processes that leave an environmental trace — from irrigation water and fertilizers to machinery, milling, and transport.Understanding the ecological footprint of wheat does not mean blaming farmers or consumers, but learning how to make the …
Read more “Wheat and Planetary Health: Ecological Footprint and Solutions”
Soil is the living skin of the planet. Within just a few centimeters beneath our feet lies the foundation of every agricultural ecosystem — the place where wheat takes root, water infiltrates, and billions of microorganisms build a fragile but vital equilibrium.Yet that balance is increasingly at risk. According to the FAO, 33% of the …